What must be the same before you compare prices?
Start with one dated brief and send the same revision to every supplier. A quote for a different material, finish or order quantity is a different offer, even when the product looks similar. Record who answered, when they answered and which drawing or reference they used.
- Product reference and drawing revision, including dimensions and tolerances.
- Material grade, finish, colour and any performance requirement.
- Order quantity, packaging and delivery destination.
- Required documents and the questions that need specialist confirmation.
Do not silently substitute your preferred specification for the supplier’s wording. Put the requested specification and the offered specification in separate fields.
How do materials, MOQ and tooling change the comparison?
Ask each supplier to state the material grade rather than a broad description such as ‘stainless steel’. Ask whether the minimum order quantity applies to the whole order, each size, each colour or each production run. Keep a sample order separate from a production order.
Separate the unit price from tooling, set-up, packaging and other stated charges. If a quote leaves a cost out, mark it ‘not confirmed’, not zero. Record the currency, quote validity and any conditions attached to a quantity break.
- Material and finish match: confirmed, different or not confirmed.
- MOQ basis: total order, variant or production run.
- One-off items: tooling, set-up and their stated ownership or reuse conditions.
- Included items and excluded items: copied from the written offer.
Which lead time are you actually comparing?
‘Lead time’ needs a start and an end. Ask whether it runs from specification approval, payment, sample approval or another event. Separate sample preparation, production readiness and dispatch. A requested delivery date is not a supplier commitment.
Record dependencies alongside the date: material availability, artwork approval, tooling or unresolved specifications. If transit timing is needed, obtain it separately from the responsible logistics provider rather than treating production timing as an arrival date.
How should payment and Incoterms be recorded?
Record the payment currency, stages and trigger for each payment, including what must be confirmed before production or dispatch. Ask for the exact Incoterms rule, named place or port, and edition stated in the quote. Do not compare two named delivery terms as if their included work were identical.
List which transport, insurance, inspection, duties or other items are stated as included, excluded or unresolved. Seek confirmation from the responsible supplier or specialist before relying on an interpretation. This checklist organises the questions; it does not interpret a contract or calculate a landed cost.
What should a sample confirm?
Write down the purpose of the sample: appearance, dimensions, material, fit or another property. Ask whether it uses the proposed production material and process, and record any differences. A sample photograph is not evidence that every requirement has been tested.
- Sample specification and the drawing revision it relates to.
- What will be checked, by whom and against which acceptance criteria.
- Sample charges, delivery arrangements and timing, as stated by the supplier.
- What remains to be confirmed before a production decision.
Agree any inspection or testing separately with the responsible provider. Keep the supplier’s statements distinct from an independent check.
What belongs in the written comparison sheet?
Use one row per question and one column per supplier. Keep the original quotes attached so a short summary does not lose conditions. Use the following field list as a copyable starting point.
- Quote reference, date, validity, currency and supplier contact.
- Brief revision; requested specification; offered specification; deviations.
- Quantity, MOQ basis, unit price and separately stated one-off items.
- Packaging, named delivery term and place, and stated inclusions or exclusions.
- Payment stages; sample basis; production start trigger; stated readiness date.
- Evidence reference; open question; person responsible; next confirmation needed.
Use consistent status labels: ‘supplier-stated’, ‘checked’, ‘different’ and ‘not confirmed’. Do not award a clean comparison to a response with unresolved essentials. Resolve the questions that could change your decision before selecting the next step.
| Field | Your requirement | Supplier response and evidence | Status or next question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specification and material | Brief revision and grade | Exact offered specification | Match, deviation or unknown? |
| Quantity and MOQ | Initial quantity by variant | MOQ basis and quote quantity | Same order basis? |
| Commercial basis | Currency and required scope | Unit price, one-off items and exclusions | Any omitted costs? |
| Delivery and payment | Destination and requested milestone | Named term, place, edition and payment stages | Who confirms unresolved terms? |
| Sample and timing | Acceptance criteria and target | Sample basis, start trigger and stated readiness | What needs checking next? |
What if the lowest quote leaves important details open?
Ask for a revised written response against the same brief. A lower figure with missing material, delivery or quantity conditions is not yet comparable. If a supplier cannot confirm a requirement, keep the gap visible and decide whether to ask again, consider an alternative or stop that option.
The useful outcome is not a ranking that hides uncertainty. It is a comparison you can review and a specific next action: a clarification, a sample discussion or further supplier research.
Put the brief to work.
Explore YunShow’s China sourcing research and coordination service or share your sourcing requirement in writing.